Nevada and Delaware Racing to Offer First-Hand of Online Poker in the US

On December 23 of last year, the United States Department of Justice reversed their long standing position on the legality of online poker in the United States. Considering any online gaming for money in the past as illegal, just two days before Christmas of 2011 the US DOJ delivered a holiday present of their new ruling that allows each individual state to develop and regulate their own online poker policy. Nevada has long been the cornerstone of gambling in the United States, and they quickly passed legislation allowing legalized online poker play for their residents and visitors, the first state to do so.

Just last week Delaware became the second state to legalize online poker play, and actually went one step further. The Delaware legislation also allows for legal betting on National Football League games, and across-the-board casino gaming, not just poker. Before last week, Nevada was alone in its efforts to provide actual online poker play for the first time in the United States, but now Delaware is breathing down their neck in that regard, and it’s anybody’s guess as to which state will actually shuffle up and deal for the first time since last year’s landmark DOJ online poker ruling.

And being the first to market in what is undisputedly a billion dollar United States marketplace has benefits on so many levels it simply can’t be overstated. The first state to officially open the doors on virtual online poker rooms will position itself at the forefront of the online poker future in America. Not to mention the influx of jobs, and the licensing and regulating revenue which will be generated immediately.

Delaware already appears poised to deliver online poker and casino gambling in their three brick-and-mortar casinos, the Dover Downs Hotel and Casino, Harrington Raceway and Casino and Delaware Park Racetrack and Slots. Their state lottery system is overseeing online interactive gaming and Delaware, and the newly passed legislation is named the Delaware Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012.

Nevada recently announced that their residents and travelers could see online poker as a reality by the early start of 2013, and possibly even by this year’s holiday season. Delaware Governor Jack Markell was asked how quickly his state can get up and running online, and if they would beat Nevada as the first state to make history by opening the doors on a virtual poker room. Markell said exactly what you would expect a politician to say, stating that Delaware is not in competition with Nevada, and they only want to provide a safe and secure experience for their residents and visitors. It appears Mr. Markell has a great poker face that comes across in his statements concerning online poker, and with two states now racing to achieve a historical online gaming first in America, you have to believe that online poker play will be a reality in the United States sooner rather than later. Learn more about online gambling in Nevada here: http://www.unitedstatesgamblingonline.com/nevada/